Farm Horizons, May 2002

A refresher on township government

By Julie Yurek

Township government is grassroots government. It is for
the people of the rural community. Townships are the oldest form of organized
government. The first township was formed in 1787, according to the Minnesota
Association of Townships.

In the 2002 Township Government Manual, it states that
geographically, township refers to an area established by government survey
that is a six-mile by six-mile square (36 square miles).

A township is a form of local government established to
provide services to its residents, according to the manual.

Townships are public corporations. Both cities and townships
are considered general purpose local governments because both, unlike special
districts created for a specific purpose, have been granted the authority
to serve the broad-based needs of its residents, according to the manual.

The governing body of a standard township is comprised
of three supervisors, a clerk, and a treasurer. Each are elective offices
with its own list of statutory duties.

Only the three supervisors have the authority to act on
behalf of the township to make decisions and set policy. Each supervisor
has a vote, but a majority must be in agreement before a decision carries
the weight of the board.

The Legislature tells local government what it may, may
not, and must do.

Until recent decades, township supervisors' main responsibilities
were maintaining roads and bridges.

As the wants and needs of residents have grown, townships
have taken on a greater role in providing new services and facilities.

Township supervisors are empowered to:

· organize a planning commission

· adopt building, zoning, housing, and parking regulations

· provide for fire protection

· develop local emergency management and disaster
preparedness plans.

As a township's legislative body, supervisors also set
policy, enact local ordinances, adopt budgets, and levy taxes.

Township meetings provide citizens with the opportunity
to participate directly in the affairs of the community and to shape its
direction. The doors to township meetings, held once a month, are always
open.